A Winter Feast

I've spent the last few weeks wondering when life got so busy. Between a new job, a consequent renewed interest in keeping up professional relationships, a desire to catch up with friends after the hectic holiday season and an unusually high number of birthday celebrations this month I've been out far more than I've been in. And I'm worn out.

Luckily my week ended with a relaxed dinner at my apartment with a group of lovely ladies. The food was, thanks to my dinner party savior the River Cafe Cookbook, incredibly easy to prepare...the Spaghetti al Limone and the pork braised in vinegar are just about as low maintenance as you can get, and the salad, based on one I tried at Bouchon a few months ago, is probably the only Thomas Keller recipe that requires the use of less than four dishes (it uses one).

And dessert was particularly easy because I didn't make it. Vivian, who I'm slowly learning is a deceptively talented cook, made an amazing flan, and Rachel was kind enough to come bearing Crumbs cupcakes. I will be spending the rest of the weekend indoors, away from the cold, nose in a book, snacking on the remains of the feast. Particularly the sweet stuff.